Dance the Night Away
by Hawki
Summary: Oneshot: "It's the question that drives us, the question that brought you here. You know the question just as I did." That hadn't been a lie. Of course, the question on Trinity's mind right now was whether Neo was The One or not. And if so, what that meant for her.


**Dance the Night Away**

"Well lookee here, Cinderella's back from the ball."

Trinity suppressed the urge to groan, if not her scowl. There was something downright perverse, she reflected, in having to listen to Cypher's voice the moment she woke up. And about the only thing more perverse than listening to the man was having him walk over to her after the fact.

"Did it work?" he asked. "Did you leave your silver slipper behind?"

"Glass slipper," she murmured. "And second of all, none of your business."

"None of my business?" He looked around the room, giving most of his attention to Tank (having walked in from the cockpit) and Morpheus, who'd helped her unplug. "Gee, is that the case? I mean, I thought it was my business. I mean, we've only spent the last few months trying to get pretty boy out of the Matrix because our captain thinks he's the Chosen One."

"Not think," Morpheus said. "Know." Trinity looked at Morpheus, who looked at Cypher. "Which, of course, makes it your business. The business of everyone on this ship, for all those who live in Zion, and all those who are still enslaved."

"Right. 'Enslaved.'" Cypher gave Morpheus a double thumbs up. "Well, while you're working on breaking the chains of the proletariat, think I'm gonna take a nap. I mean, some of us have to work for a living rather than going to raves."

Trinity wanted to call something out. Something along the lines of it being rich for Cypher complaining about her going to "raves" when he spent an inordinate amount of time jacked in to certain programs written by Mouse. Still, she resisted the urge. She was indeed back from the ball, and having made contact with Neo, she hoped she'd succeeded in leaving something for him to latch onto, if not necessarily a slipper.

"How is she?" Morpheus asked.

Tank looked back from the monitor that displayed Trinity's vitals. "All good. Cinderella's ready to meet her prince."

Trinity winced as she stood up. It was bad enough that Cypher had become more agitated over the last few months. She didn't need Tank joining in as well.

"Good." Morpheus patted him on the shoulder. "Get some rest Tank. If things go according to plan, we'll need you to lead the prince to his princess soon."

_Oh God, not you too. _

Tank nodded, and headed off, leaving Morpheus and Trinity alone. The latter having just exited the Matrix, and the former watching her like a hawk. Because he was certain Neo was The One, which meant that even if he had yet to see Neo himself, he was keeping tabs on everything the crew of the _Nebuchadnezzar _did in regard to "the target."

It bothered Trinity when people referred to Neo as that. And it bothered her that she was bothered. She'd helped plenty of people escape the Matrix over the years, and she'd never been put off by the use of such terminology before.

"Well?" Morpheus asked. "How did it go?"

"Fine," Trinity murmured. She tried to walk past Morpheus. "I need some sleep."

"As I'm sure Neo will," Morpheus said. "Considering that he arrived back at his apartment two minutes before you woke up."

Trinity spun round. "He did?" she asked, sounding more eager than she cared for.

Morpheus gave a small smile. "Come and see." He walked to the cockpit, and after a glance at the ladder that would take her down to the lower level, and ergo, her quarters, Trinity followed him. She was tired, considering that it was 0040 shipboard time, but…well, Morpheus had asked her to take a look. Ergo, she was obliged to. Ergo, she was just fulfilling her role as the XO of the _Neb_.

Morpheus stood in the cockpit by the Matrix feed, before nodding at Trinity. "See for yourself."

Trinity did so. To the untrained eye, the feed appeared as nothing but a series of green figures without rhyme or reason. To her eye however, it told her plenty. That Neo's digital avatar had arrived in his apartment, and was nearly asleep.

"To sleep, perchance to dream," Morpheus murmured. He gave a small snort. "One dreams while inside a dream. Yet for many, only the dream within can be ended. So few escape the dream without, even while they perceive themselves to be awake."

"And?" Trinity asked, looking up from the monitor. "Do you think Neo's ready?"

"You talked to him tonight. What do you think?"

Trinity didn't answer. What did she think, she wondered? As in, what did she think about how he'd looked in that nightclub. Standing alone, pale as a ghost, unable to partake in opiates with the rest of the masses because he knew that something was wrong. And what had she thought, when she'd walked up to him? Talked to him? Whispered to him? What had she-

"Trinity?" Morpheus asked.

She cleared her head and looked at her captain. "He's been searching for you for years," she said. "I don't think he needs much more prodding."

"But is he ready to be unplugged?" Morpheus asked.

She went to say "yes," but no words came out. She could say it. But was her answer based on emotion, a need to free Neo from the Matrix, or an honest appraisal of the likelihood of him taking the red pill? Not to mention that at 28 years of age, Neo was too old to be unplugged. Or at least he was by the rules the likes of she and Morpheus abided by. And speaking of Morpheus, he was still looking at her. Still looking for an answer. So, looking away, peering at the gloom of the sewers the ship was parked in, she murmured, "might not matter much anymore." She looked back at him. "We know the agents are searching for him."

Morpheus remained silent. Perhaps he was thinking as she was. Remembering how just a few days prior, she'd barely escaped with her life from those bastards. The agents might have not found Neo yet, but they'd certainly found her. Despite Cypher's insistence that the line had been clean.

"What do you think?" she asked. "You're the one who thinks he's The One."

Morpheus gave her a wry smile. "Do you not think he is?"

So he was playing the game. Fine. She'd play as well.

"You're the captain," she said. "Every one of us is only here because of you. You tell us to jump, we ask which program. But it was the Oracle who said that you'd find The One. Not me."

_Liar, _she reflected.

Morpheus's smile remained in place, but she'd known him long enough to see the change in it, however slight. To half of Zion, Morpheus might as well have been the Messiah himself. To the other half, he was a madman who had no business in commanding a warship. Those on the _Neb _fell into the first half, granted, but still…

"Have faith, Trinity," he said. He patted her on the shoulder and headed for the cockpit's exit. "And get some rest."

"Right. Rest. Spent the last few hours asleep, but I can get some more."

Morpheus continued walking away.

"Maybe you should talk to him," she said. "I mean, you used to dance."

He stopped, and she could see that she'd hit a nerve. _Good, _she reflected.

He looked back at her. "That was a long time ago."

"I know sir. Niobe told me."

There it was again. That quiver. Inside the Matrix, Morpheus could present himself as cool and unflappable – like an actual god, not unlike the one he'd taken his namesake from. In the real world though, he could come close to his digital persona, but never quite match it. Here, in reality, the cracks of deception were easier to see.

"Niobe?" he asked.

"Yes sir. Remember? The _Logos _passed within radio range of us a month ago."

The look on Morpheus's face told her that he didn't remember. Also that he wasn't keen on pursuing this line of discussion. And that ergo, his second-in-command should get the rest she suggested.

"Just saying sir," Trinity said. "Maybe it's time you make contact with him. I've given him the breadcrumbs, maybe we should give him a meal."

Morpheus nodded. "Perhaps." He looked like he wanted to say something, but whether the subject be Neo, Niobe, dancing, or something else, he remained silent. At least until he said, "Good night, Trinity."

She watched him head off. Knowing that there was always more going on in Morpheus's head than he let people in on, and that this moment was no exception. Also knowing that she needed to get to sleep herself. Being jacked into the Matrix might have given her body some rest, but it couldn't fully substitute her body's natural rhythms. And indeed, she let out a yawn, as her body and mind cried out for sleep, both.

Yet she lingered, turning her gaze back to the Matrix feed. Telling her weary eyes that Neo had finally got to sleep. Slowly, she traced her finger down the code. Wondering if he was dreaming. Wondering if, when the time came, he'd make the right choice. Wondering, if only for a moment, if his dreams included her.

"Good night, Neo," she whispered.

Then she too retired to sleep.

The ball was over.

She could only hope that Neo would hold onto the slipper until the time came.


End file.
